The Darkness Within
by Aleavon
Summary: Ezreal takes Lux out for a surprise picnic one day, but a catastrophic event occurs, and Ezreal is left with a worrying, possibly life-changing problem... Will he and Lux be able to overcome this? Or will everything that they are familiar with be destroyed by this impending danger to their entire way of life?
1. A Picnic In the Woods

**Author's Note:** Hehe the title foreshadowing... ^-^

Anyways... This is my first League of Legends fanfiction :DDDDD

So now I have a grand total of 3 fanfics... and only 1 complete ;-; i need to keep working...

Well I don't have much to say yet, so... here... read...

-Aleavon

* * *

"I've got a surprise for you. Just close your eyes." Lux felt a warm, gentle, and delicate hand smoothly slide over her eyes.

"Ezreal, why do I have to close my eyes AND have your hand over them? It's not like I'm going to peek!" Lux half-giggled at the romanticism of it all, but she was still really curious as to what the surprise was.

Even without looking at him, Lux could tell he was grinning from the tone of his voice. "You'll see. I'll lead you and then I'll tell you when you can open your eyes. Plus, you're the 'Lady of Luminosity' known for her light tricks, so you could sneak a glance using your rainbow powers or something." His perfectly deep but not too deep voice laughed as his other hand grasped Lux's firmly. Ezreal started to lead Lux, step by step, through some terrain, and then Lux felt the familiar light sensation of Ezreal's Arcane Shifting.

With her eyes closed, she couldn't really use her light powers, leaving her in her most vulnerable state. Even though Lux didn't like to feel vulnerable, her returned feelings for Ezreal assured that she would trust him with anything, even the fate of the entire world. He could be leading Lux through the Void, and she would still trust him to get them both out, unscathed.

Ezreal's mellow but masculine voice eased its way through Lux's thoughts. "We're here. Ready to have your eyes dazzled?" They suddenly stopped, and Ezreal lifted his hand from on top of Lux's eyes.

Lux gasped when she lay eyes on the beautiful sight that Ezreal had led her to. A crystalline, frozen waterfall gleamed in the winter sunlight, giving off little sparks of like that reminded Lux of little stars, filling the air with energy. At the foot of that waterfall was a perfectly preserved patch of spring green grass with a picnic blanket spread over it. A couple of little sparrows flew through the air near the picnic basket, giving the entire place a springtime look in the middle of an icy, harsh winter. The entire scene was located in a clearing in an untouched, snowy forest, giving everything a surreal, wonderland-like look.

"Ezreal… it's… beautiful! How did you find this?" Lux exclaimed.

Ezreal grinned. "Well, they don't call me the prodigal explorer for nothing. I found it while exploring the Frejilord and thought, 'I have to show Lux this,' and here you are. Have a seat."

He smiled warmly at her before sitting down, patting the spot next to him. That kind gesture seemed to melt away the frosty air as Lux grinned and plopped down next to him on the blanket patterned with the night sky.

Lissandra peeked over the top of her massive, crystalized creation. She had found an icy waterfall with a small river leading up to it, and wanted to preserve it in her all-consuming power. So she started from a miniscule crystal of ice within the water, and spread the frost outwards towards the edges, successfully preserving the natural beauty of the ice within everything. But something out of the ordinary was out there today. A pair of bright, young champions sitting on a picnic blanket at the base of her sculpture caught her eye.

"Hmm… They're cute together. This should be… interesting." She murmured.

Lissandra setted down at the top of her waterfall and watched the couple's picnic together. Something stirred inside her cold, dark, frozen chest. An emptiness that threatened to consume her whole had unearthed itself, starting to grow in spite of her unfeeling ways. Something… that made her realize just how alone she was.

Ezreal and Lux sat there for a while, munching on the sandwiches that were in the basket Ezreal had so carefully prepared. They sat together in silence, enjoying each other's presence in the beauty of the landscape. The golden duo's glimmering power illuminated the crystallized waterfall, sending little rays of sparkling light shining into the frozen woods and over the spring green blades of grass in the small patch of meadow they were sitting on. Lux stopped eating for a moment, looking up to inspect the waterfall more closely. There must have been some sort of crystal structure for the pair's light to be able to reflect like that.

"Woah, there's a weird pattern over here in the ice!" Lux cried. She started walking towards it to look at it closer. Ezreal got up from the blanket to examine the mark as well. Lissandra, still watching from the top, took in a sharp breath. All of her ice creations, no matter how big or small, had the same marking on it. Lux, having played Lissandra often in the Mid Lane in Summoner's Rift, would definitely recognize that mark, given some time.

As Lissandra leaned over precariously, worried that they would discover that she was here, she didn't notice one of her Ice Shards slipping from her dress folds and falling towards the young couple until it was too late to grab it.

Ezreal's explorer instincts suddenly told him to look up, and he did so, spotting the javelin of ice hurtling through the sky, heading straight for Lux.

"NO!" He screamed, Arcane Shifting and just barely blocking the icicle with his gloved hand. Ezreal hugged Lux close to him, breathing unevenly, as Lux stared at Ezreal's glove in shock.

Lux shook off her shock after a few initial moments of realizing how close she was to getting hit by that shard, and looked questioningly in awe at her boyfriend.

"How did you—Where did that—Why am I—" Lux was still in so much shock that the few words that she could utter were just fragments, far from being a full sentence. Her pupils constricted back to their normal size, and she took a deep breath.

"Shhh… you're okay now…" Ezreal crooned, as if comforting himself as well. Lux looked back at Ezreal's gauntlet, still in the position in which had Ezreal had saved her life by blocking the icicle, and noticed a slight but possibly devastating change in what she usually saw.

"E-Ezreal…" She stammered. "Your stone… It's cracked!"

He glanced over at his glove, surprised. A small rift had opened up in his crystal blue power gem. His brow furrowed. "That shouldn't have happened… It's not that fragile. But it's just a small crack. It should be fine." Ezreal worriedly glanced back up at the waterfall. "We'd better get out of here before one of us gets seriously hurt."


	2. The Gem Knight

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait for the next chapter ;-;

I didn't have access to the computer during the past few days so I couldn't write :(

Here's the update :)

* * *

Lux and Ezreal slowly walked back to the picnic blanket, not as carefree and happy as they were before when they had arrived, knowing that there was danger outside of the League. They had been informed that if they died while inside the arena, they would regenerate, but nobody knew what would happen if they actually died… even if it was by another champion's hand… outside the arena. Would they die forever? Would they just regenerate? Or… something else?

Ezreal grabbed Lux by the waist and Arcane Shifted back to his apartment with the picnic basket. The two of them settled down on the couch, Lux leaning her head on Ezreal's right shoulder, as Ezreal wrapped his left arm around her arms. Lux was still partially shocked from her close shave with death, but Ezreal's presence helped her forget.

Lux snuggled closer to Ezreal; his warmth reminding her that she was, in fact, still alive. With her head on his chest, she could feel his heart beating, giving her a steady rhythm to keep her mind on. _Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump._ "Ezreal… thank you for saving me. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there or if you hadn't noticed that had happened. But is your gauntlet okay?" She glanced down at the gloved hand on top of her own, and using her right hand, ran her finger against the crack.

Ezreal grunted and glanced down at the gem as well. "I don't know… It's never cracked before. I might be able to fix it with some help though… But I don't know who or what could help."

Lux thought for a moment, and then jumped up. "I think I know who might be able to help! Your gauntlet… It's a gem, right?"

Ezreal's electric blue eyes lit up with a furor that matched Lux's. "Technically, yes! I think I know what you're thinking…"

 _A few hours later…_

After dropping off Lux at the apartment she shared with Garen, her brother, Ezreal wandered over to what could be the solution to his… gem problem. Ezreal looked up at the crystallized front door of Taric, the Gem Knight. He had battled alongside the knight in shining (literally) armor bot lane, and knew that he had healing powers centered around gems and crystals. There was a chance that maybe… he could seal the gap with his gem magic.

*knock knock knock*

Ezreal lightly rapped the door knocker made out of what seemed like sapphire, and a couple moments later, Taric peeked through the eyehole.

"Ezreal! What a surprise! Come in, come in!" Taric exclaimed, opening the door with a grand flourish. "What brings you here?"

"Taric, you practice earth magic, right?" Ezreal asked. "That includes gems, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, that does include gems," Taric answered, peering down at Ezreal's gauntlet. "Does this have something to do… oh." Ezreal assumed that the "oh" was because Taric noticed the crack, and he extended his left hand towards him.

"There's so much I want to ask… I don't know if I'll be able to get it all out." Ezreal said. "If it hasn't ever been able to crack before, then how did it crack now? Will the crack affect the magic that I can tap from it? Is it possible for the crack to get wider? What if the crack does get larger? Is there any way I can fix it?"

Taric chuckled and gestured for Ezreal to follow him inside. They entered the living room, filled with little gem statues and crystals as Taric sat down on a couch in front of a coffee table made entirely of ruby. Ezreal slowly sat down next to him, staring in awe at all of the dazzling formations around him.

"Wait here and let me bring out the tea I just made. I was about to practice my healing ritual again, and tea usually helps me focus the earth magic. Would you like some as well?"

Ezreal nodded eager to try any new thing that he came upon. "I'd love to, thanks!"

Taric exited the room and returned a few seconds later carrying a tray with a teapot and two teacups on it. He carefully placed the tray on the table, filled the two cups with tea, and handed Ezreal one of them. They both sipped at the tea as Ezreal explained what had happened to his gauntlet and how it broke.

"Can you let me see your gem?" Taric asked, after a few seconds of consideration after hearing Ezreal's story. "I should be able to sense the energy within the gem, and why it broke as well."

Ezreal extended his left arm towards Taric in response, looking at him with worry.

Taric traced his fingers over the crack carefully, and then covered it with his palms. He then closed his eyes and hummed for a second, seemingly filling the room with a vibrating sound, and then opened his eyes again, removing his hands from Ezreal's gauntlet.

"The stone is in tune with your inner spiritual energy." Taric explained. "If you've been used to it being unbreakable, then that reflects upon your inner strength. But if it was able to crack… you must be feeling vulnerable and—excuse the pun—cracked open. I may be able to fix it, but there is only a slight chance of that happening. We would have to know what caused you to feel vulnerable, and if we can stop that, then we could possibly turn it all around. Your stone should recuperate on its own if we can successfully do that."

Ezreal took a deep breath and stood up. "Well, I'll try to figure out what it is that's bothering me. I'll have to leave now though, I have a match in a few minutes and I've got to get to the arena. Thanks for everything!"

Taric walked him to the door and watched as Ezreal ran off into the distance.

"I'm not sure we'll be able to figure out what is wrong before … it… comes out…" Taric muttered to himself. "I just hope he'll be alright."


	3. A Game to End it All

**Author's Note:**

There's been a long hiatus since I've mainly been working on my Solangelo fiction, but I came back and fixed some errors that I found in this chapter. ^_^

-Aleavon

* * *

" **Welcome to Summoner's Rift!** " the announcer proudly proclaimed over the three-lane battle arena. Ezreal nervously glanced at his left hand with the gauntlet on it, hoping that it would hold. It was his first game since his gauntlet had been physically altered, and he still wasn't certain of what he was capable of doing while his crystal was cracked. He shook off the negative thoughts, knowing that he had a battle to win. He looked to his side and saw Teemo, Lux, Soraka, and Udyr appear on the Blue Team's summoning platform.

"Looks like this'll be a good game! Let's win this thing!" Udyr's low, baritone voice rumbled as he grabbed a Hunter's Machete, two Health Potions, and a Seeing Totem as he roared in a voice not very different from that of a wild Ionian Mountain Bear Ezreal had tracked one day as Udyr raced towards the bot lane jungle.

"I'll be at the Krug pit in a second!" Ezreal pinged as he opened the shop and picked up a Doran's Blade, a Health potion, a Seeing Totem, and headed bot to leash Udyr's Krugs with Soraka by his side. Udyr smited the larger one, and the fight ensued. After a few blasts of light from his gauntlet, Ezreal backed off, letting Udyr take the Krugs , and then left the jungle with Soraka to lane.

Seeing as one of the first brawler minions was almost dead, he shot a small bolt of energy from his gauntlet and continued to wait for the little minions to continue to weaken.

As he continued to last hit the minions, a familiar voice rang through the lane.

"Nice to see you again, Ezreal." A female British accent broke through his concentrated wave farming as a Piltover Peacemaker came flying towards his face. Ezreal dodged it just in time, shooting a white bolt of energy at his attacker's chest. Caitlyn let out an "oof," and continued farming.

"Fired up and ready to serve!" A metallic voice came from the steam golem that ran in front of Caitlyn to protect her from any further Mystic Shots. Ezreal let out a sigh of relief, knowing that at least he could escape Blitzcrank's grabs, and continued dodging the enemy duo's abilities while trying to get farm. However, he couldn't keep up with Caitlyn's wave clear, and ended up under their turret while trying to farm.

"Soraka, try to poke a bit more with your Starcall, I shouldn't need much healing." Ezreal said to Soraka as Caitlyn and Blitzcrank waited outside of the range of the turret for the waves to reset. "I think if you can land a slow and a binding on one of them, we can take them out. I've whittled them down a bit, and I should be able to get at least one kill." Soraka nodded in response, and waited for the minion wave to be cleared before they went in.

Ezreal started with his usual poke, getting in an autoattack before shooting a Mystic Shot and autoing again, but then Soraka ran in behind them, layering her Starcall and Event Horizon on the both of them before either could cast any spells. As they tried to escape Soraka's Event Horizon but ended up rooted, Ezreal Arcane Shifted in and shot his W while autoing Caitlyn as Soraka continued to attack Blitzcrank. The two were both at about 10% health as they used their escapes, and seemed to have got away, but they were soon cut down as Ezreal's Trueshot Barrage sniped the two of them as they ran back down the lane to recall.

Ezreal listened for the **First Blood!** Then a **Double Kill!** , letting the rest of the champions in the arena know the feat Ezreal had just accomplished. he announcer's voice echoed through the arena, as Ezreal's teammates started to cheer over the intercom system.

"Score two for us bro!" Udyr cheered as he pinged "On my Way!" mid lane where Lux was preparing to combo Veigar. Ezreal silently wished them luck as he diverted his attention to the situation at hand. Caitlyn and Blitzcrank were down for a while, so he could freely farm, as Soraka warded the river bush and dragon.

The enemy bot lane duo returned to their lane preceded by a Piltover Peacemaker hit Ezreal square in the chest. Soraka immediately dashed to him and healed the wound he had received, taking the damage upon herself as she vamped the health from Blitzcrank, who was trying valiantly but failing to dodge Soraka's Starcall.

What seemed like hours had passed by as the two marksmen last-shotted the minion waves. Unbeknownst to Ezreal, Blitzcrank was waiting in the unwarded river bush, and as he stepped to the left side of the lane, Blitzcrank's right hand had latched securely onto Ezreal's torso before he could shift away. Caitlyn immediately hopped over to where Blitzcrank was knocking up Ezreal, and started autoing him. Once Soraka had run up to the fight and silenced the enemy duo, Ezreal Arcane Shifted back towards his turret at about a third of his original health. The humanoid and unicorn-like nymph started to heal Ezreal's wounds as Ezreal called for help in the bottom lane.

Within a few minutes, the help he requested had arrived.

"Armed and Ready!" An adorably annoying voice whispered from the river bush, freshly cleared of wards thanks to Teemo's new Sweeper Lens. He laid down two shrooms, and signaled for Ezreal to bait them towards him.

"On it!" Ezreal mouthed back. He focused Caitlyn, dodging into the bot lane bushes and pushing her towards the river by shooting bolts of energy at her, forcing her to use her 30-Caliber Net to "escape" into the river, thinking she was home free, but instead, she landed on Teemo's well-planted shrooms. Blitzcrank rushed to help her, but it was too late. Teemo reappeared from his invisible state and started shooting poison darts at Blitzcrank while blinding Caitlyn as the three champions bot lane overpowered the two enemy bot laners. Another kill racked up for Ezreal, and Teemo got the kill on Caitlyn, his deadly poison taking her life as she flashed back into the range of her turret.

"Perfect time to Dragon, if you're up to it, Udyr." Soraka said as she started tossing her sparkling crescents at the Rift Scuttler. Ezreal and Teemo helped out and soon enough, Udyr was entering the dragon pit, helping the other three champions take down the Dragon as Lee Sin wandered down to attempt a Dragon steal. He shot a Sonic Wave at Udyr in an attempt to get close to the dragon and smite it, but Lux ulted the dragon first, scoring the dragon and a free kill for Udyr.

"Well played, everyone! Now let's see if we can push mid and bot and maybe take the turrets soon!" Lux said, returning to her lane with Udyr in tow. Their team of five did so, pushing their bot lane to the inner turret and mid lane to the inhibitor turret, Ezreal getting another double and Lux getting a kill, although Udyr died in the process. As Udyr's respawn timer started, Lux placed a warning ping top lane just as Darius took down Top Lane's Outer Turret.

Teemo sighed and teleported back top, muttering in his tiny voice, "And I was just starting to get ahead, too... Time to shroom up again!"

The rest of the game ended in a similar fashion, with the blue team's champions eventually grouping mid and taking out the red team's inhibitor before the 20 minute mark, when the enemy team agreed to a surrender with 5 votes for and 0 against.

 **Victory!** The announcer declared proudly as the red team champions sighed in resignation, crowded around their exploding nexus.

"Better luck next time, Caitlyn!" Ezreal crowed as he teleported back to his living room, Lux appearing a few seconds later, running a hand through her not-very-tousled hair. She plopped down to his left on the couch, and they smiled at each other, thinking about the excitement they had just been through.

"Well, that was a nice game. One of the better ones I've played this time around. If it weren't for Udyr coming in for that early gank, I would have been turned into dark magic dust!" Lux exclaimed, smiling fondly at the memory as she laid her hand on top of Ezreal's. Her fingers found the crack in his stone, and her eyes flew open, suddenly remembering the irregularity.

"Oh! I just remembered! How was the visit with Taric? Is your stone okay? You played well today, so you'll be fine, right?" Lux prodded, sky-blue eyes filled with caring and worry.

"It didn't feel like there was any difference," Ezreal replied, unintentionally ignoring her first question and skipping over what Taric had said. "I think I'll be fine. It's just a small abnormality, after all."

He chuckled and stared into the glowing energy of the stone. "And maybe it can heal itself? I know it used to be able to heal, but then one day... it changed. It did make me shoot faster though... maybe it'll make the healing power come back faster." Ezreal quipped, managing to coax a small smile out of Lux with his terrible joke.

"I'm just glad that you're okay." Lux replied, leaning over to peck him on the lips. Ezreal leaned back into her, pushing her against the edge of the armrest, and closed his eyes, drawing in her presence as the contact left him giddy and light-headed, like it always did. He let out a small sight as she drew back, looking into Ezreal's eyes, smiling with all the joy in the world. But then her brow furrowed as she noticed something... in his eyes? She blinked as Ezreal stared at her questioningly, but she shook it off.

"What?" Ezreal asked, trying to draw something out of Lux. The look on her face had left him worried that he had done something wrong.

"Oh, it's nothing. I have to go home now, but I'll see you tomorrow!" Lux smiled as she walked out the front door. But Ezreal couldn't help but wonder what Lux had seen while looking into his eyes.


End file.
